Old Main, originally called "Main Building" and first built in 1863, was the first major building of the Pennsylvania State University. Built over a six year period with limestone quarried from the land directly in front of it, the structure was designed by Hugh McAllister and contained classrooms, laboratories, offices, a chapel, and residential space for 400 students. After being deemed structurally unsound in the 1920s, the building was razed in 1929 and rebuilt in 1930. The new building, occupying the same footprint as the previous structure and incorporating some of its limestone, was christened "Old Main". The building cost $837,000, most of which was paid for by state appropriations and an emergency building fund campaign. The bell in the tower was a gift from the 1904 graduating class, and the westminster chimes that now sound were the gift of the 1937 class. Between 1940 and 1949, Henry Varnum Poor utilized the fresco style to paint large murals (over 1300 ft²) on the second floor of Old Main that depict Penn State's land grant history. Today, Old Main serves as the administrative center of Penn State, housing the offices of the president and other officials. Download high resolution version (1984x1488, 1917 KB) Photo of Old Main at Penn State, by Spangineer on February 1, 2005 File links The following pages link to this file: Pennsylvania State University User:Spangineer/images Old Main Categories: GFDL images ... Download high resolution version (1984x1488, 1917 KB) Photo of Old Main at Penn State, by Spangineer on February 1, 2005 File links The following pages link to this file: Pennsylvania State University User:Spangineer/images Old Main Categories: GFDL images ... 1863 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... The Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (commonly known as Penn State) is a prestigious state-related land-grant university in Pennsylvania, with over 80,000 students at 24 campuses throughout the state. ... Limey shale overlaid by limestone. ... Sometimes referred to as the Jazz Age or primarily in North America as the Roaring Twenties. // Events and trends Technology John T. Thompson invents Thompson submachine gun, also known as Tommy gun John Logie Baird invents the first working television system (1925) Charles Lindbergh becomes the first person to fly... 1929 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1930 is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... 1904 is a leap year starting on a Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Westminster Quarters is the most common name for a melody used by a set of clock bells to strike the hour. ... 1937 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1940 was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1949 is a common year starting on Saturday. ... A XIV Century fresco featuring Saint Sebastian Note: Fresco is the NATO reporting name of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17. ... This article is about a foot as a unit of length. ...
During the week, Old Main's chimes play the Westminster Quarters, but on weekends, part of a Penn State school fight song, "The Nittany Lion", is played instead. Additionally, on special events, the tune can vary additionally; for example, on February 22, 2005, the university's 150th anniveresary, the clock tower toned "Happy Birthday to You". February 22 is the 53rd day of every year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... Happy Birthday to You is sometimes sung when a birthday cake is brought to a party table. ...
References
Official Old Main history
Old Main's Frescoes
The University Park Campus of Pennsylvania State University
OldMain was the first, and originally the only, building on campus.
OldMain is now home to the foreign language departments (Chinese, French, German, Norwegian, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish), as well as Asian Studies, Classics and Medieval Studies.
The field in back of OldMain is a great spot for outdoor activities, regardless of the season—football in the fall, sledding in the winter, Ultimate Frisbee in the spring, and romantic moonlit walks all year round.
OldMain, originally called "Main Building" and first built in 1863, was the first major building of The Pennsylvania State University.
The limestone was carried in part by a mule named Old Coaly, whose bones were subsequently preserved and became a sort of mascot to the school.
During the week, OldMain's chimes play the Westminster Quarters, but on weekends, part of a Penn State school fight song, "The Nittany Lion", is played instead.
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